Physical therapist issues warning to anyone that sleeps with two pillows at night

If you're someone who props your head up with two pillows each night, then you might want to ditch one for the sake of your posture.

Physical therapist Sammy Spiegel, who now works in outpatient orthopaedics, explained that she has even coined the term 'Two Pillow Syndrome' to describe the effects that sleeping with a couple of cushions can have on you.

She admitted that you won't find the phrase in any scientific studies, but she 'swears it's a thing' - as she's seen it firsthand with her patients.

The Missouri-based physical therapist, who has worked in the industry for more than 13 years, explained that she has watched a host of preventable conditions 'creep up on people'.

However, they 'don't realise they are becoming less able' until it's too late...and as they say, prevention is better than cure, so taking notice of what Spiegel says sounds like a good idea.

In a recent TikTok video, she urged people to 'beware of Two Pillow Syndrome' and encouraged people to 'resist the urge' to lay their head down on a pair of cushions each night.

Spiegel explained that doing so can cause - or drastically worsen - a dowager's hump. This occurs on your upper back near the name of your neck and may also be referred to as a neck hump or hunchback, among other things.

Either way, the term describes the 'excessive curve of your spine', according to health experts at Cleveland Clinic, and the most common cause of it is bad posture.

And as Spiegel explained, most people are doing enough damage while slouching during the day, so the last thing you want to be doing is going to sleep all hunched up.

She told social media users that supporting your head with two pillows at bed time means your spine 'conforms to the curve that's occurring over time with poor posture', when in actual fact, we need our 'neck and spine [to] stretch back into a nice straight position' while were catching some Z's.

The physical therapist explained that those who are able should ideally be 'lying down flat without a pillow' or 'using one pillow' when they get in bed each night. And if you feel like you need some more support, Spiegel recommends popping a rolled-up towel behind your neck to 'support your curve'.

The content creator said people should be sleeping in a position which they want their posture in the daytime 'to reflect'.

"I'm already fighting bad posture enough as it is, I don't want to lie down in bed and have a pillow just put me in bad posture," Spiegel continued. "When you go to bed at night, use gravity to your advantage to stretch you straighter, if you can tolerate it."

She went on to warn people to steer clear of mattresses which conform to your body, as eight hours in the same position on one of these isn't going to do your posture any good either.

The sleep expert then demonstrated a series of stretches and exercises which she says can help you 'strengthen up your posture muscles and mobilise your spine'.

Apparently, doing this will make it easier to give up your beloved second pillow - and you can check out Spiegel's tips in her video here:

Signing off her video, Spiegel added: "Avoid two pillow syndrome!"

But those who took to the comment section admitted that saying goodbye to two pillows would be easier said than done, although some were all for it.

One person fumed: "But I hate sleeping on one pillow! It hurts my neck if I sleep on one," while another wrote: "I'm always uncomfortable at night - can never find the right pillow to sleep with."

A third added: "I'm a one flat pillow sleeper and I've never been so validated in my life! People think I'm crazy."

A fourth joked: "I'd rather have a hump than never sleep again."

Others said they had tried out Spiegel's tips and said she was 'talking sense', though others still reckon it's a case of 'the more the better' when it comes to pillows.